unknownseas | Week 1

Entry tags:

round 3,
week 1

Week 1

Good morning, New Rapture. A new day is dawning.

There may not be much light to differentiate the days here, but the lights of the part of the city you're in change enough by the clock that you can almost believe there's a sun somewhere. It looks like Mayor Fontaine has no intention of going back on his deal, and for the time being? You're all stuck here. But there's plenty to do, and... maybe not plenty to see, but there's enough. There's something, at any rate.

Especially if you're willing to look beyond the surface.

And if you spend enough time around others, you might find something neat!

No matter what, it's time to start getting to know your fellow captives. You might be here a while.

MONDAY | TUESDAY | WEDNESDAY | THURSDAY
FRIDAY | SATURDAY

[ ooc: Welcome to the first week of Unknown Seas Round 3! We're very excited to have you. Please make sure to mark any investigation toplevels accordingly, and you can reach either Mayor Fontaine or Eleanor for conversations! ]

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Of course not. If you don't want to change, I'm not going to insist.

[He at least moves to take the bathrobe off before making a move back toward the pool; the swim trunks he's been granted are a little...well. Color-wise at least they're on brand.]

[ Oh, the theme of the clothing here is radically strange, isn't it. Hodaka peers at the water, actually taking a moment to think this over. ]

...Mm, you know...soggy jeans aren't really fun. Especially if they're soaked all the way. [ He knows a thing or two about being completely soaked. ] I think... Yeah. I'll be right back, 'kay?

Of course!

[...Yeah, the. The jeans weren't looking like they were going to be too fun, there, but he's also not really one to complain if people want to just jump in in their clothes.

...As for the general theme here, Forrest knows what modern swimwear is and he's perfectly fine in it, but he's going to think Velcro is absolute witchcraft. So says Fire Emblem.

Anyway, in the meantime he's going to kind of pick his way down the steps? He can swim a bit, or at least he won't drown immediately, but he's going to be staying near the shallower areas.]

[ So bikinis are normal, but Velcro is something from another world. Got it.

Hodaka doesn't take that long to get up to his room and back. A few minutes, tops. When he does return, however, he's got his towel wrapped around his waist and a pretty fierce frown. Coupled with the slight red tint to his face... Embarrassment? ]

I'm back... [ With little enthusiasm. ]

[I mean this franchise is kind of a waifu simulator on top of everything else, so of course bikinis are normal.]

Oh! That's good - is everything all right?

Uhhh...

[ He kind of shuffles toward the pool. He's not very self-conscious about the various bruises his lack of shirt reveals—a few days old, healing, scattered on his chest and just one on his back—but he's very determined not to let the towel fall. ]

The trunks they gave me are...a little bit...

[ Garish. They're very garish. ]

...Are they horrible.

[Like, you know, PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING ELSE HERE.]

They're really horrible, Forrest-san.

[ That doesn't look like the face of someone who's going to laugh, however, so... With a heavy sigh, he drops the towel to reveal just the most neon swim trunks there ever were. ]

[There is really only one thing to say to that, isn't there.]

Wow.

[He's never seen anything like that before? Like somewhere between this and the tie-dye he is learning all sorts of forbidden 90s knowledge.]

If we can manage to find suitable supplies somewhere, I'm going to make things to wear for people. I don't know what yet. But anything would be better than what we've been given.

[ As he dips a foot into the water—cold!—his eyebrows raise. ]

You can do that? I mean- I know people can do that, I just haven't met many who make their own clothes... Wow.

I do! It's something I learned while I was growing up; I've always enjoyed it.

[He sounds pleased, though; it's a good topic, it seems.]

I tend to make women's clothes, but I could dress you like a boy if you preferred that. You don't really seem the skirt type.

[ A very sheepish expression. ]

Nnno, I, ah, don’t think I could really pull it off. [ He wonders… ] Did you…learn for any special reason?

Oh - growing up, I had to live separately from my family for a while; they weren't able to visit me, and it wasn't safe for me to go to them. So I found myself bored, and quite often lonely. This gave me something to do with my time, and I found out I really loved it.

Besides, I like being adorable.

[ An awkward almost-laugh. ]

That's... Wow. I'm sorry, I didn't know. Are you... I mean, were you able to visit them, before?

[His expression remains gentle; he doesn't seem bothered by any of this, it just is what it is.]

I've been able to spend far more time with them recently. It's been nice to have the opportunity to get to know them a bit better now.

[ Hodaka uses this opportunity to slip into the water fully. A little shiver’s easy to cover up, like that. ]

I…see. Well… That’s good. If it’s going well, you know?

It is.

[It's going, anyway.]

What about you...? What was growing up like for you?

[ That's...a question Hodaka doesn't really know how to answer. He sinks a little low in the water, letting it lap at his chin. ]

It was...difficult. [ He sounds somewhat tense. ] I...didn't like where I was. And I didn't know...how to make the most of it, like you did.

[Forrest will come a bit closer at that - hopefully not too close, he's not all in Hodaka's face or anything, but he's definitely closing some distance there because it feels like the right thing to do in that circumstance.]

It's okay. I've known people who have had difficulties with it. Who didn't like where they were. However they handled it was just...what they had to do.

I'm sorry you had to be brought here after having a hard time back home, too. It doesn't seem fair.

[ Hodaka doesn't draw away. In fact, for a moment he just stares into the water, as if it'll answer some question that he hasn't the heart to ask. After that moment, though, his eyes flick up to Forrest. They're almost dazed—but he smiles. ]

You don't have to... It's alright. I'm- trying to do that now. Make the most of it. Of all of it. A...person I met, she... She's inspired me to try that more.

I'm glad that you were able to meet her, then.

[It's entirely genuine.]

Sometimes it's easier to live for other people than it is for ourselves. Or to learn from the lessons they have to teach us than to figure it out on our own. It's good that you were able to find someone, either way.

Yeah.

[ A beat, and— ]

W-w- wait, it's not exactly- I haven't really got the chance to- talk to her about, um, any of that or really ask how she feels so I don't want you to get the wrong idea about it even if that's what I'd want or...

[ Suddenly quite embarrassed, Hodaka starts babbling, mumbling a little more with each run-on sentence. The big awkward handwaving gesture he launches into is probably not the best thing to do in the pool, especially considering Forrest's rather close.

In other words please be on the look out for unintentional splashing. ]

[That...actually gets him to laugh, honestly, though it isn't unkind; even if he does get splashed, that's fine - he just ducks his head under the water and smooths his hair out a bit before responding.]

You're really cute, you know that?

[ Already slightly red in the face, Hodaka now more resembles a tomato. ]

I'm what?! [ His voice cracks. ]

Cute.

[He says, matter-of-factly.]

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withagun - 2022-06-19 20:59 (UTC) - Expand

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